398 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
August 22. 
and expose the fruit to the action of the sun by pinch¬ 
ing the intervening leaves off, and let the whole wear 
that air of neatness and order without which a good 
article loses half its value, while an indifferent one is 
rendered worso. And while attending to general ap- 
pearapeos for the present, do not forget, the principal 
duties, from this time foward are, “ preparing for another 
year.” J. Robson. 
SAWBRIDGE WORTH NURSERIES. 
{Continued from page 383.) 
We now continue our observations on the Sawbridge- 
wokth Nurseries, for which our space was too limited to 
enable us to complete them in our last, 
One of thp first impressions which strikes the visitor to 
this establishment is the very business-like air which it 
presents. Everything is produced in such quantities as to 
give one the idea of a large manufactory, which, in fact, it 
really is ; and this is the secret of success, when the article 
manufactured is in accordance with the taste and require¬ 
ments of the age. Thus it is that here we see no old, over¬ 
grown, and unsaleable stock, which, w r e regret to say, is too 
Irequently the case in similar establishments; and on the 
whole eighty acres, we feel safe in asserting, that there is 
not apything winch is intended for sale that is unsaleable. 
The concluding remarks ip our last notice were occupied 
with the ornamental trees and shrubs; we shall now proceed, 
as we there stated, to make a few observations on the Fruit- 
tree department. 
For many yegrs Roses were the leading features in the 
Sawbridge worth Nurseries, and, although their cultivation is 
still continued, we think it is far outdone by that of the 
Frnil Trees ; and in considering this part of the subject, we 
shall, like the divines, divide it into heads, though not to 
the same infinitissimal division which those gentlemen of 
the seventeenth century wore wont to reduce their subjects. 
We shall consider, I. Fruit Trees, as they are cultivated for 
sale; II. As they are cultivated for Orcharding; III. As 
they are cultivated for observation; and IV. As they are 
cultivated under glass. 
1. Fruit Trees, as they arc cultivated J'ur Sale .—We shall 
not pretend to say how many varieties are grown for this 
purpose, but wo know that there are enough to supply the 
wants, tastes, and fancies of everybody, and suitable to all 
soils and climates. We frequently hear those who do not 
know any better, complaining of the great number of 
varieties which are enumerated in nurserymen’s catalogues. 
They say, “Why grow such a number? A dozen good Apples, 
and as many of Pears, with two or three sorts of good 
Plums and Cherries, arc all that are requisite for any garden.” 
Hut these sort of people only consider their own taste, and 
their own situation and soil. They may like briskly-flavoured 
Apples, and a musky-flavoured Pear, whilst others prefer a : 
sweet Apple, and consider the musky flavour of the Pear 
offensive. Some, again, would reject all of these, and give 
the preference to an Apple with that peculiar balsamic 
aroma which is distinguishable in the Margaret, and Early 
Julicn, and to a Tear with a delicate rose-water flavour. 
Besides the flavour, the adaptability to soils and climates 
is to be considered ; fruits that succeed to perfection in the 
warm, loamy soils of Devonshire, would canker and die in the : 
cold soil and climate of Herefordshire, and both are famed 
orchard counties. The first-rate fruits of the midland I 
counties, if grown in the south, would bo regarded as second i 
or third rate; and those of Scotland are, when cultivated 
iu the south, many of them positively worthless. And, 
again, there are prejudices to be contended with. In the 
days of our boyhood, there grew in the corner of our 
paternal orchard a patriarchal Pear-tree, the axis of whoso 
trunk leant with ap angle, like the tower at Pisa, and its 
long giant arms stretched out and away to such a distance, 
and with such an inclination to the ground, that massive 
props were necessary, lest the rude winter’s blast should 
rend them. Its form is daguerreotyped on our mind, and 
its fruit is familiar to our' taste, and wo fancy tliero never 
was such a Pear as that. Years pass away, and after 
being buffeted about on the billows of this turbulent 
world, we calmly settle down to enjoy the evening of our 
days, before the night cometh. We recall to mind the 
old tree, and its pleasant fruit, _all the pleasanter, per¬ 
haps, because it was forbidden; and can it be wondered at, 
that wo should have a prejudice in favour of that tree, 
and that we should long to possess one of the same ? When ; 
all these points are considered, the “ dozen good sorts ” | 
would fall far short of what w'ould be required of them, i 
There is, therefore, in Mr. Rivfcrs’s establishment, such a ' 
choice as will satisfy the wants of all. And they may bo i 
had in all forms and sizes; dwarfs for gardens, standards i 
for orchards, and trained for walls. Mr. Rivers is most [ 
indefatigable in overcoming the obstacles arising from bis 
soil and situation; trained Peaches and Nectarines, which, 
in the warm, loamy soils in the neighbourhood of London, 
are produced in the open ground by training them to stakes, 
or temporary trellisses, would not succeed if so managed at 
Sawbridge worth, the soil being of such a nature as prevents 
the timely ripening of the young wood; but this difficulty 
is overcome by the erection of an immense number of 
dwarf brick walls, four feet high, four-inches-and-a-half 
thick, and supported by piers at convenient distance, and 
running parallel to each other, at distances of six feet apart. 
The young trees are trained against these walls, and produce 
as fino and healthy growths, with well-ripened shoots, ns 
can be desired; no expense being spared where the object in 
view can be attained. Wo observed a large stock of Apples 
grafted on the Taradise, which is well known to possess the 
property of rendering these trees of a dwarf habit of j 
growth, and of causing them to produce fruit much earlier 
than when worked on the Crab. Pears on Quince stocks 
are also grown to a large extent, particularly some varieties 
which are • in greater demand than others. We were 
much pleased to see Mr. Rivers had given his attention 
to one variety in particular, which is little known in this 
country, and of which he has a large quantity on the 
quince stock. It is Colmar d'ete, or, as it is sometimes 
called, Poire CEuf. It is a most delicious, early Pear, 
ripening in September, and possesses the unusual property 
of most early Pears, of keeping w-ell for three or four 
weeks after being gathered. The tree is a very vigourous 
grower, forms a most beautiful pyramid, and bears abun¬ 
dantly. We would recommend those of our readers who 
are not acquainted with this variety to “ make a note of it.” 
We must not omit to mention, before we close this part of 
our subject, our astonishment at the facility with which the 
\ ine is cultivated in this nursery, and the luxuriance with 
which it grows in that part of the ground which is composed 
of pure calcareous sand—literally sand, where nothing else 
will grow, and where, for years, nothing was attempted 
to be grown. Mr. Rivers, however, discovered that the 
Vino luxuriated in such a spot, and now this pit, for 
literally it was a pit, has had its sides levelled down, and 
appropriated as a nursery for Vines. We never recollect 
seeing Vines growing with such vigour, not even in the Vine¬ 
yards of France, the Moselle, or the Rhine. We qre almost 
afraid to say the length to which they will grow; but we 
think Mr. Rivers stud Black Hamburgh would make 
twenty feet in one season. One part of this great pit has 
been covered with glass, and some of the Vines introduced; 
where, without any fire-heat or artificial borders, they 
produce an abundance of large, finely coloured, and well- 
llavoured fruit. 
II. Fruit 1'rees, us they are cultivated for Orcharding .— 
We have, on several occasions, urged in the pages of this 
journal a more extensive and judicious planting of orchards 
throughout the country than has for many years past been 
practised. We have shown how such may be done without 
sacrificing large breadths of ground, and how, if done 
judiciously, it may be rendered highly profitable. Mr. 
Rivers lias done so on a large scale. Almost the whole 
extent of what may be called the open ground is laid out 
in such a manner, as that at a distance of 120 feet there is a 
row of orchard-trees,Jtlie space between them being employed 
for the ordinary nursery purposes. Some, who have not seen 
this system of orcharding, will fancy to themselves all sorts 
of objections, such as roots spreading to neighbouring crops, 
branches shading, and causing a “ drip," and ever so much 
valuable ground wasted. But the very reverse is the 
